The Tamer And The Shield Maiden

 

 
 CHAPTER FIVE

 

 

Dungeon Doom’s entrance was clearly marked by two demon skulls. The path leading into the dungeon was paved with the same black stones which formed the city of Umbra. As the party made its way down the ancient steps and through a long hallway, the pure white Wyrms seemed to glow like torches in the darkness. Amanda had worn a white dress for the same reason.  Should she need his help, Amanda wanted her husband to be able to find her in the confusion of a dungeon fight.

 
As they traveled deeper into the dungeon, Seamus and Og plowed through the guardian monsters, leaving a trail of corpses for the rest of the party to follow. Through a pit at the end of the hall, they descended onto a wooden platform with stairs leading to another tunnel. Down the steps and through a maze of narrow passageways Seamus led them, his wyrm mangling anything which threatened his group.

“The Gauntlet is but a small area of the dungeon Doom” Seamus said over his shoulder. “The fighting here is best described as organized chaos.” his voice echoed off the dank stone walls “The Gauntlet is a large room surrounded by five smaller rooms. We must enter each of the smaller rooms in sequential order, killing all the monsters in that room before moving on to the next one. We will use a teleporter to enter each room, but once we are inside a room there are only two ways to leave. Either we defeat all of the creatures within that room, in which case the doors will open upon the death of the last creature…or we die and leave as ghosts. But if we are lucky and defeat all of the monsters in each of the five rooms, the Dark Fathers will then appear in the main Chamber. That is where the real fight begins.”

Bronson stayed close behind Jeanne Rose as they rode through the dark passageway. She turned in her saddle and smiled nervously back at him. They both had their bows in hand but didn’t fire at any of the monsters which the group encountered; letting the wyrms crush them instead. The archers were saving their bolts and arrows for the battle ahead.

The tunnel led to an enormous cavern. There, they came upon an underground lake where a large grey ship was anchored. Suddenly, strange robed spirits sprang up from the ground around the lake. The wyrms began attacking the spirits two and three at a time.
 
“Hurry! We must pay the ferryman, Chyloth, before we can board his ship and cross the lake to the Gauntlet,” Seamus shouted. He rang a bell which was hanging from a stone arch near the dock. A mysterious figure wearing a red, hooded robe appeared. Seamus quickly pulled a golden skull from his sleeve and handed it to the ferryman before summoning his party to follow him aboard the foreboding vessel.

From the bow of the ferry Bronson could see a huge battle taking place on the beach ahead. The remains of undead creatures and warriors littered the golden sand. Further down the beach he observed what appeared to be a small strip of land with a fixed moongate at the end of it. Here, trapped against the moongate, was a huge monster with a long, beak-like snout, surrounded by dozens of warriors and their pets. As they sailed closer, it became apparent that the gigantic monster could slaughter both dragon and mare with little effort as it moved through the army of warriors who had gathered on the peninsular of land near the moongate. The monster seemed to be an invincible opponent.

“What manner of creature is that?” Jeanne gasped.

 
“That is one of the Dark Fathers,” Seamus answered, as he stood by the ship’s rail “We are witnessing the last battle of a Gauntlet cycle.”

 
Bronson took Jeanne’s hand as they stood together in the bow of the ship. “Fear not, my lady.” Bronson quietly reassured her. “You are in good company.”

Jeanne gave him a brave smile. “Aye, my lord, the very best of company.”

The ship came to a smooth stop near the shoreline. Seamus and his party made their way down the gangplank and up the beach. “Stay together.” Seamus ordered. “Wait til the Dark Fathers target the wyrms.” he put on his gold helmet as he led the way. “ALL FOLLOW ME!!” Seamus shouted as he advanced towards the fight. Og roared and hastened after his master. The others followed in his wake.

But by the time Seamus and his party were close enough to enter the struggle, the last Dark Father was defeated. The earth beneath their feet shook as the dead weight of the creature hit the dungeon floor. The surviving warriors scrambled to reorganize and resurrect their pets so that they could begin the Gauntlet cycle once more.

Seamus gathered his small group near the entrance to the first Gauntlet chamber. He put his arm around Amanda, gave her a kiss on the cheek and said with a grin, “That is for luck, my dear.” As he released Amanda, she blushed like a new bride.

Seamus bellowed a final directive to his warriors  just before he stepped onto the teleporter  of the first Gauntlet chamber “REMEMBER TO HEAL THE PETS!!”

**************************************

The strange creature towered above Bronson; its many arms waving with anger as it attacked. Using his knees to guide Nox into a turn,  Bronson fired arrows at the Creeper, capturing its attention and then leading the monster back to the center of the room where Seamus and Amanda waited. The Creeper followed Bronson as he circled behind the two huge white wryms and then cast invisibility upon himself.

“OG KILL!!” Seamus commanded and the wyrm obeyed. Soon the Creeper was being attacked by the two wyrms, Nox and the archers all at once. It fought desperately before succumbing to the onslaught of pets and warriors.

 
Immediately Bronson swung up onto Nox’s back and went to lure another Creeper into the trap. The process repeated itself, and under Seamus’ expert guidance, the family managed to stay alive in the first chamber of the Gauntlet.

 
As another group of warriors finished off the last Creeper, the exit doors burst open allowing everyone to rush to the teleporter of the second chamber of the Doom gauntlet.


Seamus gathered his party together in the hallway before entering the second chamber.

“This next room is guarded by Flesh Renenderers.” he warned his kin “These monsters are very fast and very powerful. If you are targeted by one you must hide immediately.”

 
“ALL FOLLOW ME!!” Seamus again commanded and teleported into the next room of the gauntlet.

Just outside the second chamber Bronson drew his mare to a halt. Jeanne, who was following close behind, pulled up right beside him. “My lady, have you any skill in magery?” Bronson inquired, quietly “Can you cast the spell of invisibility upon yourself if necessary?”

 
Jeanne shook her head. “No, my lord, I have never trained to perform magic. My path has followed the ways of warriors and archers.”

 
Bronson reached into his pack and brought forth a folded green cloth, which he held out to Jeanne. “Use this cloak of invisibility, my lady, should the need arise.”

“A cloak of invisibility!” Jeanne exclaimed “I can not accept such a rare gift, Bronson! Its value is truly beyond my means.” she gently pushed the proffered item away “But I appreciate the thought, my lord.”

 
“I will hear no argument on this matter. My mind is set that you should have this cloak.” Bronson firmly pressed the magic garment into her hands and with a smile gently added, “Indeed, I cannot bear to see you slain by the creatures of this place. Please humor me, Jeanne Rose.”

 
“It seems that you are as stubborn as your older brother,” Jeanne said with a sigh. “I will take this gift, but I shall use it only if I am in extreme danger.” she leaned over and lightly kissed his cheek. “Thank you Bronson, you seem to be forever rescuing me.”

“Remember to stay close to the wyrms and use the cloak, my lady.” Bronson said in a way which reminded her very much of Seamus.

 
“Aye, my lord” Jeanne replied with a smile and a touch of amusement in her voice.

Inside the second chamber of the Gauntlet, Bronson quickly herded Jeanne to the safety of a spot beneath Og’s wing and positioned himself between the lady and the open area surrounding them. No sooner had he done this, when a giant, beetle like Flesh Renderer charged towards them. Bronson slid from Nox’s back and commanded the mare to attack. He stayed beside Nox firing his bow at the monster and attempting to heal his pet at the same time.

“Mist kill!!” Amanda ordered her wyrm to attack the large insect that was winning the battle against Nox. The wyrm immediately began to bite and claw the Flesh Renderer as Amanda cast a flaming spell upon it

.
“OG ATTACK!!” Seamus bellowed as his pet joined the fight.

 
Soon they had defeated one of the Flesh Renderers, but another one was racing forward to take its place. Og, Mist and Nox surrounded the monster and with the help of the two archers it fell to the ground as well.

All around Bronson frightened warriors were running to avoid the powerful jaws of the huge flesh eating creatures. These monsters were so deadly that most melee fighters could not stand up to them with sword and shield. Many had not been quick enough to avoid death; their bodies were strewn across the floor of the gauntlet chamber. Several ghosts stood beside their corpses waiting for help. Seeing them, Jeanne Rose tucked her feathered hat into her pack and replaced it with a sturdy helmet. Then, arming herself with sword and shield, Jeanne left the safety of Og’s wing to resurrect the fallen with her bandages. She called to the ghosts in need of her grandmaster healing skills and before long she had resurrected several warriors, allowing them to collect their belongings and return to the battle.

“Lady Jeanne!” Bronson called to her, just as she finished healing another newly resurrected warrior “I would have you stay near the wyrm!” he commanded, motioning to the spot where he wished for her to stand. Jeanne pushed back the face plate of her helmet and cast a questioning glance at her cousin Amanda. Her cousin smiled and nodded in agreement with Bronson’s order. Jeanne started to urge her mount forward when suddenly she heard Amanda’s terrified voice shouting her name.

 
“NOX KILL!!” Bronson commanded, as he started to run towards Jeanne Rose.
 
But before Jeanne could react to the warnings of her party, she was struck from behind by the razor sharp jaws of a Flesh Renderer. Blood began to gush from her wounds and her vision grew dim. A second blow came so quickly that Jeanne never felt it. The next thing Jeanne Rose knew, she was a ghost. Her decaying body lay on the floor in a pool of blood and, as she watched through the haze of death, Bronson commanded his mare to attack the monster that had murdered her. Amanda and Seamus also set their pets upon the creature and soon it was destroyed.

“Come, Jeanne Rose,” Bronson’s voice seemed distant and muffled, but Jeanne obeyed him. He cast the spell of Resurrection upon her and she felt the radiating heat of magic as her life force returned. Jeanne’s family formed a circle around her with their pets while she recovered her strength and her belongings. Bronson used a wand of greater heal to speed up the process.

 

When Jeanne was once again ready for battle, she positioned herself near Og and smiled gratefully at Bronson. He tried to look stern as he nodded his approval. But a good natured grin spread across his face and he winked at her before turning his attention back to the fight.

Later that day, after firing countless arrows and bolts in what seemed like endless fighting, the exit doors from the last room were opened. Seamus led his family out into the large main room where the Dark Fathers had already begun the final fight. Bronson counted three of the hideous creatures, surrounded by their undead minions.

“We will lead them onto the beach one at a time,” Seamus instructed, as he rode his ethereal steed through the tunnel leading away from the gauntlet chambers. Bronson stayed far enough behind Jeanne and Amanda to prevent any attack by the army of undead which had appeared to defend the Dark Fathers.

The Dark Father was led to the strip of land leading to the moongate on the beach; just as Bronson had witnessed from the bow of the ferry upon their arrival. A dozen dragons and wyrms were ordered to kill the monster. The archers let loose waves of arrows to weaken it, but the Dark Father is the most powerful creature in Doom and not easily slain. Many warriors and their pets would fall before the monster was destroyed.

Jeanne Rose stayed on the outskirts of the battle, arming herself with sword and shield. As the tamers were busy healing their pets, Jeanne and the other melee fighters kept the undead creatures from attacking them from behind. One of the benefits of Jeanne’s training as a melee fighter, at the Ratman Fort in the Ice Dungeon, was high resistance to magic. So the spells of ghouls and liches did not affect her very much.

Bronson, Amanda and Seamus stayed close to their pets, healing whichever one was taking the most damage. From time to time Bronson glanced back across the beach to reassure himself that Jeanne was alive and well. He saw that she was holding her own, while managing to heal and resurrect others and did not seem to be in any immediate danger.

When most of the undead were crushed by the group of melee warriors on the beach, Jeanne took out her heavy crossbow and moved closer to the fighting near the moongate. She took aim and fired at the Dark Father. Arrows and bolts from the archers rained down upon the creature as it roared with rage.

Finally, the Dark Father fell to the ground with a crash. Seamus mounted his ethereal steed and ventured back into the Gauntlet Chamber to lure another Doom Boss to the beach.

In the short lull that followed, Bronson made his way to Jeanne’s side and smiled up at her as she sat upon her ethereal steed.

 
“You are a mighty warrior, my lady,” he told her, “Who was your teacher?”

 
“My father, Lord Angus,” Jeanne answered, lifting her helmet from her head. Two braids of golden hair fell around her shoulders “He wished for a son, but alas I was his only offspring. So my father taught me to defend myself and my family if need be.”

 
“He trained you well, my lady. But I must confess that I am glad Angus did not get his wish. I prefer you as a lass, not a lad,” Bronson said, taking the end of one shiny braid between his fingers and tugging playfully.

 
Bronson grinned at Jeanne with a twinkle in his eyes. She returned his smile and pulled her braid away from his fingers with mock indignation. “You are very bold, sir knight,”

 
“I only speak the truth. Would you have me lie, Jeanne?”

 
“Nay, Bronson” Jeanne replied, “the truth is always best.”

 
Her smile faded as she noticed a smear of blood on Bronson’s cheek  “You are wounded!” She wiped the blood away with the finger tip of her glove. But beneath the blood, Bronson’s flesh was unscathed. The blood was not his. Jeanne smiled once more. “Well, it appears that something was wounded, but fortunately it was not you, my lord.”

 
Bronson took note of her expression of concern, when she thought he had been wounded in battle. This pleased him very much and his grin widened.

At that moment Seamus emerged from the Gauntlet Chambers and broke through the crowd, leading the next Dark Father and his horde of undead followers out onto the beach.

 
“Nox kill!!” Bronson commanded. He smiled once more at Jeanne before following his mare into the fray.

 
“Take care, my lord!” she called after Bronson. But the din from the battle was deafening and he did not hear her. Jeanne pulled her helmet back over her head, lifted her shield and with sword in hand, returned to the fight.

In the distance, a warrior, dressed in a black hooded robe, stood in the shadows of a boulder on the beach. His face was concealed in the folds of his hood as he sat atop an ethereal steed. The hooded rider had come ashore with a recent boatload of fighters bound for the Gauntlet. But while the other passengers had hurried off to enter the battle, the hooded rider remained in the shadows. His gaze scanned the army of adventurers until they settled upon a lovely female warrior dressed in blue. The rider’s eyes narrowed when he saw a handsome red haired man, clad in a dark green cloak, stride through the crowd to her side. The woman removed her helmet and her bright hair glowed like gold in the torch light, as spilled over her shoulders.

The couple exchanged words which the hooded rider could not hear. But the expressions upon their faces and the way in which the man touched the woman’s hair spoke volumes. The rider watched intently as the woman reached down and appeared to caress the young man’s cheek. The scene was painful for the rider to watch, and his grip on the reins tightened. As the couple smiled at each other, his knuckles turned white as he tried to repress his building anger and jealousy. The cloaked rider snorted through flared nostrils and he gritted his teeth in rage.

The encounter between the couple was interrupted by the arrival of the next Dark Father. The deadly monster was being led onto the beach where it was immediately attacked by dozens of fighters and their pets. The hooded rider waited until the attention of every warrior in the area was focused on the gigantic creature. Then he put his heels to his mount and galloped into the passageway leading to the Gauntlet chambers.

********************************

Bronson applied another bandage to a red dragon which fought near him. The dragon was taking heavy damage from the Dark Father while every warrior with vet skills worked feverishly to keep it alive. Few pets had survived, but the Dark Father showed no signs of weakening.

Bronson glanced over his shoulder to see Jeanne Rose just finishing off a lich with her sword. She was doing a fine job of keeping the undead creatures from attacking the tamers. He felt a sense of pride as he watched her helping others with her healing skills. Reassured that the lady was safe, Bronson turned his attention back to destroying the Doom Boss.

Suddenly, the sound of Jeanne’s voice shouting his name made him glance around again. A rider dressed in a black hooded robe was racing towards him from the entrance to the Gauntlet chambers. Directly behind the hooded rider was another Dark Father in pursuit. Bronson immediately realized that the warriors on the beach would be slaughtered by two Dark Fathers at once!

The rider in the black hooded robe galloped his steed to within inches of Bronson and then suddenly disappeared!! Bronson froze, looking up into the black, beady eyes of a towering Dark Father. Only a few feet of sand separated him from the most powerful beast in the dungeon. The creature was so close that he could feel the foul breath of the monster upon his face. The Dark Father stood frustrated, sniffing the air over Bronson’s head; searching for the now invisible hooded rider.

Bronson drew an arrow from his quiver and took aimed in the blink of an eye. He had made a split second decision to attack the monster and lead it back into the Gauntlet chamber. Bronson knew that he must find a way to lead it away from the warriors and his family before it slaughtered them all.

But as Bronson pulled back the bowstring to fire his arrow, a crossbow bolt slammed into the back of the Dark Father’s shoulder. He heard a rumble of surprise rise from the huge monster’s throat. Bronson shot his arrow, but he knew that it was too late. The Dark Father was already turning around towards the warrior who had hit him first.

As the creature slowly pivoted, Bronson saw, to his horror, that it was Jeanne Rose attacking the Dark Father from behind. Jeanne whirled her ethereal mount around and galloped back towards the entrance to the Gauntlet chambers; effectively leading the creature away. The gigantic monster roared with rage and chased her into the tunnel

.
“God’s teeth!!” Bronson swore, as he raced after Jeanne Rose and the Dark Father.

 

 

 

 

 

 ***************************************************

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER SIX

 

Bronson charged across the sandy beach as the Dark Father disappeared into the tunnel leading to the Gauntlet chambers. He heard the monster’s roar echoing off the walls as he passed through the entrance.

Ahead he could see the back of the gigantic creature as it chased Jeanne Rose. Bronson ran close to the uneven walls of the passageway in an attempt to see past the Dark Father. He caught a glimpse of Jeanne’s light blue dress before she traveled out of sight again. He dodged two ghouls and a lich… literally shoving the lich aside in his frenzied attempt to catch up with Jeanne before the Dark Father crushed her. The lich hit Bronson with a bolt of lightning, but it did not slow him down.

Bronson knew that once Jeanne reached the open room which connected the Gauntlet chambers she would be trapped with no place to run. His mind raced as he tried to formulate a plan to draw the Doom Boss’ attention away from her. He was only a few feet behind the Dark Father when Jeanne came into view again. For an instant he saw a flash of green cloth floating around her shoulders. As the green material of a cape settled upon her body, Jeanne Rose disappeared before his eyes.

The cloak of invisibility! She had used it! Bronson stopped in his tracks. He watched as the Dark Father continued running beyond the spot where Jeanne was hiding and into the main hall of the Gauntlet Chambers. A heart beat after the huge monster had passed her, Jeanne Rose reappeared.

The green cape flew like a banner from her arm as she whirled her mount in the direction of the tunnel entrance. Jeanne’s ethereal steed took off like an arrow heading directly towards Bronson.

A smile spread across his face “Well met, my lady!” he cheered as she galloped around him.

“Make Haste!!” she commanded “Flee before it comes back!!”

Bronson began to run after Jeanne, back to the relative safety of the beach. He watched her swing her sword at the undead creatures which were blocking their hasty retreat. She cut a path for Bronson to follow as she hacked and slashed at the ghouls and the lich.

“Blood thirsty wench!” Bronson laughed, as the tunnel entrance came into view. He made his way out onto the beach and stopped to catch his breath. Bronson watched as Jeanne chopped at a skeletal knight until it fell into a pile of bones. Then she guided her mount back to where Bronson was standing. He saw that her hands were shaking and he could hear her labored breathing under the helmet that she wore.

“Are you alright?” he asked, taking the sword from her hand.

“Aye,” Jeanne panted “The cloak of invisibility is an amazing weapon,” she pulled her helmet off and gulped in fresh air. Her face was flushed and her eyes were bright with the excitement of their adventure. “That was fun!” she giggled.

Bronson gave a short bark of laughter upon hearing this unexpected remark. Jeanne giggled once more and then began to laugh in earnest.

Bronson laughed along with her, until Seamus’ booming voice interrupted their merriment.

“I hope you two youngsters are quite finished taunting that Dark Father,” he said as he made his way towards them across the beach. “You are giving my poor wife a seizure.” But the grin Seamus was wearing belied the gruffness of his voice.

 
Amanda Rose was hurrying along behind her husband. The look of worry upon her face told Bronson that both she and Seamus had witnessed the near disaster which Jeanne had diverted. Bronson saw that the pets, Og, Mist and Nox, were trailing Seamus as well. It appeared to Bronson that Seamus was coming to their rescue when he and Jeanne had emerged from the tunnel. Amanda went to Jeanne and took her hand, concern written plainly on her face. “Jeanne, are you hurt?” she asked.

“I am fine, Amanda,” Jeanne told her “Thanks to this brave knight and his priceless gift,” she smiled at Bronson and carefully folded the green cloak of invisibility.

 
“Thank you Bronson,” Amanda said “Thank you for watching over her.”

“We are watching over each other, it seems,” Bronson stated with a smile.

 
“Aye.” Jeanne agreed, “We are, indeed.”

 
Just then a cheer rose from the crowd and the ground shook as the second Dark Father was destroyed. The warriors began regrouping and resurrecting their pets all along the beach.

 
There was no sign of the hooded rider who had led the last Dark Father to Bronson and then used either magic or an invisibility item to hide. Bronson assumed that the cowardly warrior who had played such an evil trick had left the area. He was a knight without honor….a murderer. His actions had been clearly intentional. Had Bronson been his intended victim?

Before Bronson could ponder the matter any further, his mare came over to him and gave him a nudge, nearly knocking him into the sand. He laughed and reached into his pack for the raw meat which Nox was expecting as her reward.

****************************************

Patrick pounded out a barely recognizable rendition of a tavern tune on the piano in the common room of the Tree Fellow Pub. Seamus had brought his party, including some fellow warriors from the Doom battle, back to his pub after their second Gauntlet hunt was completed. Patrick and his wife Katie Rose were visiting with Kayla when they arrived and had joined the celebration.

 
As Patrick stuck another sour note, Seamus began to heckled him from a table near the hearth. “Someone needs to cast paralyze on the piano player!! He is too ham fisted for that instrument!!” Everyone, including Patrick, roared with laughter.

 
“Aye” shouted another patron “Give him a drum instead!”

Undaunted by the ribbing, Patrick took another swig of ale and continued to play his off key concert.

Bronson laughed before taking a drink from his tankard. He and Seamus shared a table by the crackling fire. The ladies had gone up to the third floor of the pub, which served as Kayla’s private living quarters. They wanted to freshen up after the dungeon crawl and see the treasures which Katie Rose had brought back from her shopping trip in Britain.

Every so often, Bronson would hear the sound of the ladies soft voices drifting down the stairs and he could not help glancing in that direction.

 
“Smitten are you?” Seamus chuckled at Bronson, drawing his attention away from the stairway leading up to the third floor. He flashed Bronson a teasing grin.

 
“Me?” Bronson asked. He scowled and opened his mouth to voice a vigorous denial. But then changed his mind. Bronson stared down into his mug and answered quite honestly “Aye, Seamus.”

 
Seamus laughed and clapped Bronson on the back, bringing a smile to the younger man’s face. Then Seamus settled into his chair and wisely changed the subject. “So lad, you seem none the worse for wear after two rounds of the Doom Gauntlet. What will you do with your half of the gold?”

 
“What gold?” Bronson asked.

“Why the gold we will make from the sale of the artifact I brought back!” Seamus told him. “We’ve won ourselves the very rare Armor of Fortune, lad! Once I sell it for a sizable sum you will get half as my partner in the dungeon crawl.”

“Well in that case,” Bronson said, grinning ear to ear “the next round is on me!” He motion to the bar maid to bring more ale.

 
“I have been thinking, Seamus,” Bronson said as the bar maid poured their ale “Perhaps I should buy a house in Malas. My adventures with you have left me with an excess of gold.”

“A house!” Seamus chuckled “If it is a house you wish to find, then I would advise you to seek Amanda’s help. She is the queen of shopping, lad. My lady will have you domesticated in no time.”

 
Bronson laughed and drank deeply from his tankard.

Soon Patrick gave up his seat at the piano to a real musician and joined the brothers at their table. The bar maid brought another round and they drank a toast to the Doom Gods for their generous contribution to Seamus’ coffers.

 
As Bronson lifted his tankard of ale in salute, a man coming up the stairs to the common room of the pub caught his eye. It was his brother Jack. Bronson watched as Jack surveyed the room until he spotted Seamus. Jack made his way over to them and took a seat beside Patrick. Catching the attention of the bar maid, Jack signaled for a drink.

 
“How went the Gauntlet battle?” Jack asked “I trust you were successful against the Doom Bosses.”

 
“Aye,” Seamus answered “Very successful indeed,” he winked at Bronson “In fact, so successful that our young brother has decided to purchase a home in Malas!”

 
Jack looked surprised for a moment. “The fledgling wants to build a nest, does he?”

 
Patrick gave Bronson a hardy punch in the shoulder. The force of the blow lifted two legs of Bronson’s chair off the floor. Bronson recovered his balance with a laugh.
 
“Huzzah and well met!” Patrick cheered and then emptied his mug.

 
“And how was your dungeon crawl, Jack?” Seamus asked.

 
“Interesting, very interesting,” Jack replied, vaguely, as the bar maid placed his tankard of ale on the table. He took a gulp of ale and wiped the foam from his mustache with the back of his hand. “I have a proposition for you, Seamus.”

“And what might that be?” Seamus leaned forward, “Something profitable, no doubt.”

 
“Aye, profitable and very, very dangerous!”  Jack told him, with a sly smile.

 Seamus laughed. “My favorite kind of activity.”

 “I have a couple of level five treasure maps which I need you to do for me.” Jack continued. “Felucca maps, Seamus. Are you up for the challenge?”

 
“Does a Daemon have wings? Of course I am!” Seamus answered without hesitation “Is tomorrow soon enough?”

“Aye tomorrow is fine, brother,” Jack relied. “Meet me near the west Britain bank in Felucca at first light,” he looked at Bronson and a wicked smile crossed his face. “You are welcome to join us, lad.” He said smoothly “If you are brave enough to venture into the wilds of Felucca, again.”

 
“I will be there,” Bronson told him “You can count on it.”

 
“Excellent.” Jack replied.

************************************


Bronson approached the west bank of Britain in Felucca the next morning. The sky was cloudy and a grey mist floated above the worn cobble stones around the ancient structure. The voices of guards could be heard in the nearby guardhouse. But none of those civil servants ventured out into the damp morning gloom to patrol the city. The once bustling streets surrounding the bank were now empty.

 
Bronson knew that his grandfather, Amergin, had once lived and worked in this city. Since childhood he had heard stories of how pickpockets would fleece the masses of humanity who, long ago, made Britain in Felucca the center of commerce. Amergin had chopped wood in the royal forests and sold his crude wooden shields to the blacksmith for a hand full of gold coins. His grandfather had saved enough money to buy a small house in the forests of Minoc. Bronson smiled, thinking of how far his family had come from such humble beginnings. And it had all started here.

 
Bronson circled the bank, looking for any sign of his brothers or Patrick. There was not a soul in sight. Nox was full of energy and pranced along, snorting. Just when Bronson thought that perhaps he was in the wrong place, he heard the unmistakable sound of Og’s roar shattering the quiet of city. Bronson found Seamus and Patrick standing in the grassy area on the south side of the bank. They were laughing loudly. Seamus was dressed in his pure black robe. Patrick wore his studded leather armor and carried a large heavy crossbow in his hand. Og stood close by, swaying in his usual way.

“Good morrow!” Bronson called out.

 
“Aah! So there is life in the this place!” Patrick greeted him “Tis like a tomb here, is it not?”

 
“Aye, Patrick, a sad place indeed.” Bronson answered.

 
“We shall make a bit of noise today, to be sure,” Seamus told them “ Felucca treasure maps are always an adventure unlike any other.”

 
Bronson laughed. “Nox and I are ready for an adventure.”

“I am glad to hear it,” a voice from behind them responded. As Bronson turned he saw Jack materialize from the mist. Jack was dressed in a black hooded cloak and he was riding an ethereal steed. As Jack approached, Bronson felt a sudden crawling recognition course through his body.

 
The murderous rider from the Doom Gauntlet!! He thought.

 
As soon as the thought came to Bronson he dismissed the idea as impossible. Surely thousands of men wore black, hooded robes and rode ethereal steeds. How could he think that his own brother had tried to kill him yesterday?

Jack approached Seamus and held out a weathered parchment map. “You are right on time, brother,” Jack said, as he pushed the hood back from his head. He nodded to Patrick and Bronson. “Only gentlemen for our hunt today?”

“The ladies have gone to hunt up a house for Bronson,” Seamus grinned “That is a woman’s favorite kind of hunting I have discovered.”

 
Patrick and Bronson chuckled.

The entire gaggle of Rose sisters and cousins had gathered this morning for breakfast at Amanda and Seamus’ home, Mountain View. The house hunting party, led by Amanda Rose, planned to search the area around Luna for the perfect Malas home for Bronson to buy. Bronson would be taken to inspect the homes which the ladies deemed acceptable for his needs. He had agreed to this arrangement gratefully since he knew nothing about house shopping. It also gave him a good excuse to spend time in the company of Jeanne Rose. That thought alone made him smile.

 
“How very fortunate you are, Bronson, to have such lovely and willing assistants in your search,” Jack told him. “But let us proceed with our hunt so that you can return to the pleasures of Malas.”

Seamus took the treasure map from Jack and unrolled it. Immediately his eyes narrowed and a frown creased his brow. For several moments there was a chilling silence. The only sound was the rumbling purr of the white wyrm as he rocked back and forth nearby.
“This map has already been read by another, Jack,” Seamus said raising an eyebrow in his brother’s direction.

 
“Aye, Seamus,” Jack quickly replied “It belonged to a friend who has the skill to decode it, but lacks the courage and strength to dig it up.” he continued with a reassuring smile. “This one is on Eiffel Isle. Do you know the place?” Jack asked, obviously trying to draw Seamus’ attention back to the map.

 
Bronson saw a look of concern pass between Seamus and Patrick.

 
“I have a rune for the Eiffel Island in my book,” Seamus answered as he drew a worn leather runebook from his pack. “It is just off the coast of Britain,” he flipped through the pages studying the coordinates carefully “Here it is.”

Seamus began to rummage in the oversized sleeve of his black robe as if searching for something. “Patrick, would you be so kind as to recall back to Mountain View and fetch my lucky lock picks?” Seamus asked.

 
“Your lucky picks?” Patrick questioned. He glanced towards Jack as he spoke.

 
“Aye, Paddy me boy, my lucky picks. Amanda will help you find them,” Seamus replied calmly.

 
“And how many lucky picks would you be needing, Seamus?” Patrick asked, as he hung his bow across his back and drew a runebook out of his pack.

 
“I’d say about thirty… Aye, thirty lucky picks and bring them to Eiffel Isle in Felucca, if you please.” Seamus instructed him.

“I will see you there, my friend,” Patrick said and recalled away.

 
“Thirty picks for one treasure chest?” Jack inquired suspiciously.

 
“Aye, Jack, never go on a hunt without a good supply of lock picks,” Seamus told him gruffly.

 
“And cure potions!” Bronson grinned, trying to lighten the suddenly serious mood of his two older brothers.

 
Seamus looked over at Bronson with a half smile “Aye, that too, lad.”

 
The smile left Seamus’ face as he turned his attention back to Jack “You never know what to expect on a Felucca treasure hunt….brother.” he growled and put his golden helmet onto his head with unusual force.

 
Seamus cast a red moongate and bellowed “ALL FOLLOW ME!!” before disappearing into it. Og roared and trundled along behind his master.

 
“After you, fledgling,” Jack said with a nod to Bronson.

 
Bronson felt a tingle of warning run up his spine as he guided Nox through the red moongate.


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